Study on the antiviral activity of aqueous pokeweed (Phytolacca Americana L.) extracts against Potato virus Y

Pokeweed (Phytolacca Americana L.) is a plant native to American countries which is widely used across the continent. Despite the probability of having digestive toxicity، this plant has an important role in many therapeutic applications for humans and plants. This plant has a capacity to control some plant and human pathogens due to the presence of ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs) in this plant. In this work، the antiviral effect of aqueous pokeweed leaf and stem aqueous extracts against Potato virus Y، one of the most important viruses infecting potatoes، was studied in tobacco model plants. The presence of the pokeweed antiviral protein (PAP) in the extract was confirmed by SDS-PAGE analysis. Results of serological assay (DAS-ELISA) showed lower absorbance values for the pokeweed treated samples as compared with non-treated، PVY-infected control plants، indicating lower levels of PVY infections in the treated plants. Results showed that the aqueous extract of pokeweed، at concentration of 0. 14 ppm، had an inhibitory effect against PVY infection in tobacco model plants with a maximum controlling effect up to four days post-inoculation.